This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Jazz's new signing beamed as he showed off his new jersey. He promised buckets. And he signed his contract in purple crayon.
Young J.P. Gibson promised buckets & signed his deal in purple crayon. http://t.co/CnugG8toEy pic.twitter.com/nbNaizZ1w4
— Aaron Falk (@tribjazz) October 7, 2014On Monday evening, the Jazz bolstered their roster by signing free agent guard J.P. Gibson, a 5-year-old Layton boy battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, for the team's scrimmage at EnergySolutions Arena."JP loves most sports, but basketball is definitely his favorite," his mother, Megan Gibson, said. "When he was just over a year old, he would sit with my husband Josh watching games. He started insisting on shooting hoops for an hour each night before bedtime when he was just 15 months old. He knows he has to be six before he can play Junior Jazz, and he reminds us all the time that he can't wait until he's six."For J.P. and his family, Monday was a night away from reality. The boy was diagnosed in 2012, when he was 2 years old. His mother put it this way: "He's been fighting cancer longer than he hasn't.""It's a new world we were thrown into," Josh Gibson, the boy's father said. "It's hard to deal with it, but it's life."The Gibsons remain hopeful still."They told us it's the good kind of cancer, as if that's a thing," Megan said.But the boy, whose parents weren't sure if he'd be able to walk or run at one point, now brings smiles as walked onto the court at EnergySolutions to a standing ovation from the crowd on hand.He promised to score seven points.He said his favorite player is Gordon Hayward.And when the night ended, the child would go back to reality and daily chemo treatments. He will finish them in May of next year, his mother said.Just a few months before his birthday in September.His sixth birthday, when he'll be able to put on another Jazz jersey and play.— Aaron Falk